LATENT FINGERPRINTS

Latent Prints

Fingerprints identification uses the distinctive ridges found on the tips of our fingers. 1. Known fingerprints

A. “10 prints” 2. Questioned fingerprints

Latent fingerprints found at crime scenes.

Fingerprint Picture

Latent Prints

Fingerprints are formed from material on the fingers that is pressed upon a surface. 1. Prints are also formed from oils secreted by the

fingers. 2. Through the pores, perspiration is discharged and

deposited on the surface of the skin. Once the finger touches a surface, perspiration, along

with oils that may have been picked up by touching the hairy portion of the body, is transferred onto that surface.

Latent Prints

A fingerprint is an individual characteristic; no two fingers have yet been found to possess identical ridge characteristics.

The FBI has nearly 50 million fingerprint records in its computer database and has yet to find an identical image belonging to two different people.

Latent Prints

Ridge characteristics (minutiae) 1. Ridge endings

2. Bifurcations

3. Enclosures

4. Other ridge details (ridge dot)

Fingerprint Chart

Latent Fingerprints

A fingerprint remains unchanged during an individual’s lifetime. 1. Genetics 2. John Dillinger

He tried to destroy his own fingerprints by applying a corrosive acid, however prints taken at the morgue after he was shot to death compared with fingerprints recorded at the time of a previous arrest.

Latent Fingerprint

A fingerprint made by the deposit of oils and/or perspiration; it is invisible to the naked eye.

Latent fingerprints are also called patent fingerprints

Latent Prints

Fingerprints have general ridge patterns that permit them to be systematically classified. All fingerprints are divided into three classes

on the basis of their general pattern. Loop Whorl Arch

Latent Prints – Plain Loop

Latent Print – Central Pocket Loop

Latent Prints – Lateral Pocket Loop

Latent Prints – Twinned Loop

Latent Prints – Plain Arch

Latent Prints – Tented Arch

Latent Prints - Whorl

Latent Prints

Sixty to 65 percent of the population have loops, 30 to 35 percent have whorls, and about 5 percent have arches.

Latent Prints

A variety of techniques use powder and chemicals to develop latent fingerprints. A. Lifted fingerprints

1. Formed when a piece of adhesive tape is placed over a developed latent print and pulled away.

2. The latent print adheres to the tape and then the tape is placed upon a glossy white or black “latent lift backer” card.

Latent Prints

3. Photography is used during the development and lifting process.

Latent Prints

Developing Latent Prints Chemicals and powders can be used to

develop latent fingerprints on contact or “touch” surfaces.

Hard and nonabsorbent surfaces Glass Mirror Tile Painted wood.

Latent Prints

Soft and porous surfaces Papers Cardboard Cloth

Some of these materials are hazardous and must be handled and used with proper protective equipment.

The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for all chemicals must be consulted for appropriate precautions.

Latent Prints

Techniques range from chemical methods such as powders and iodine fuming to the use of laser light. Fingerprint powders

The powders, when applied lightly to a nonabsorbent surface with a camel’s-hair or fiberglass brush, readily adhere to perspiration residues and/or deposits of body oils left on the surface.

Latent Prints – Fingerprint Powder with Fiberglass bush

Latent Prints – Fingerprint Powders

Experienced examiners find that gray and black powders are adequate for most latent-print work

1. Gray powder, composed of an aluminum dust, is used on dark colored surfaces. It is also applied to mirrors and metal surfaces.

Latent Prints – Fingerprint Powders

2. The black powder, composed basically of black carbon or charcoal, is applied to white or light colored surfaces.

3. Fluorescent powders are also used to develop latent fingerprints. These powders fluoresce under ultraviolet light.

Latent Prints – Iodine Fuming

Of the several chemical methods used for visualizing latent prints, iodine fuming is the oldest. Iodine is a solid crystal that, when heated,

transforms into a vapor without passing through a liquid phase; such transformation is called sublimation.

Latent Prints – Iodine Fuming

Most often, the suspect material is placed in an enclosed cabinet along with iodine crystals.

As the crystals are heated, the resultant vapors fill the chamber and combine with constituents of the latent print to make it visible.

Latent Prints – Fuming Cabinet

Latent Prints – Iodine Fuming

Iodine prints are not permanent and begin to fade once the fuming process is stopped.

Must photograph immediately on development.

Prints can be fixed with a 1 percent solution of starch in water, applied by spraying.

Latent Prints - Ninhydrin

For most fingerprint examiners, the chemical method of choice is ninhydrin.

Its extreme sensitivity and ease of application have all but eliminated the use of iodine fuming.

Ninhydrin is a chemical reagent used to develop latent fingerprints on porous materials by reacting with amino acids in perspiration.

It is commonly sprayed onto the porous surface from an aerosol can.

Latent Prints - Ninhydrin

The development of latent prints with ninhydrin depends on its chemical reaction to form a purple-blue color with amino acids present in the trace amounts in perspiration.

Generally, prints begin to appear within an hour or two after ninhydrin application.

Latent Prints – Physical Developer

Physical developer is a silver nitrate-based reagent formulated to develop latent fingerprints on porous surfaces.

This technique is very effective for developing latent fingerprints on porous articles that may have been wet at one time.

Latent Prints – Super Glue Fuming

Super glue fuming is a technique for visualizing latent fingerprints on nonporous surfaces by exposing them to cyanoacrylate vapors; named for the commercial product Super Glue.

Latent Prints – Super Glue Fuming

Super glue is placed on absorbent cotton treated with sodium hydroxide. The fumes can be fumes can also be created by heating the glue.

The fumes and the evidential object are contained within an enclosed chamber for up to six hours.

Latent Prints – Super Glue Enclosed Chamber

A hand held fuming wand uses disposable cartridges containing cyanoacrylate

Wand can be used at Crime Scene to develop prints

Latent Prints – Super Glue Fuming

Super glue is approximately 98 to 99 percent cyanoacrylate ester, a chemical that interacts with and visualizes a latent fingerprint.

Development occurs when fumes from the glue adhere to the latent print, usually producing a white-appearing latent print.

Latent Prints – Other Chemical Techniques

Silver nitrate Luminescence Amido black Gentian Violet Ardrox Rhodamine G

Preservation of Developed Prints

Once the latent print has been visualized, it must be permanently preserved for future comparison and possible use in court as evidence.

A photograph must be taken before any further attempts at preservation.